Pegleg Starfish

Strange and random thoughts fill my head as I am trying to fall asleep at night.  A lot of times it’s about work and what I have to accomplish the next day.  Sometimes it’s about groceries or things that I need from the store.  And just recently it was about plastic.  The fact that plastic can be unsafe is scary.  When you think about it, plastic is absolutely everywhere.  Bottles of laundry detergent, plastic trays that frozen dinners come in, anything.  The chair I’m sitting in and the keyboard I’m typing on is plastic.  It’s everywhere.  And like the STD Herpes, it’s just something that we will have to live with and try to control.    And I apologize to those of you who may have Herpes and were offended by the last simile.   

As the nation and individuals (including myself) are trying to be a little “greener” we need to look at the amount of plastic we’re using.  Do you really need to drink 6 bottles of water everyday?  Well, I suppose the answer would be Yes-you do need that water.  But you shouldn’t be drinking it out of plastic bottles that will sit in a landfill till the Earth freezes over.  I have completely done away with using plastic water bottles.  It saves money and space in the landfills.  I have switched to a re-usable, washable plastic bottle.  Yes, it’s still plastic, but I have already gotten months of use out of it.  Compared to just an hour of use from a non-reusable water bottle.  But the other day I read something about how some plastics that are used in reusablewater bottles can leach chemicals into your water.  And when I hear the word leach-I cringe.  I also cringe when I hear the word leeches, but that stems from a terrifying scene in the classic, “Stand By Me.”  But leaching chemicals should be avoided, weather you’re a health nut or not.  The water bottle that I have been using is a cheapy, flimsy one that I bought at Wal-Mart for a few bucks.  I’ve been searching for a new water bottle that is better (aka:doesn’t leak my Crystal Light all over my shirt when I take a sip) and preferably not made of plastic at all.  Although any water bottle will most likely have some plastic on it somewhere, but whatever just let me keep rambling.  I’m thinking more the canteen style of water bottles, but then again I might lose sleep over the fact that metals can leech chemicals too.  I will keep you posted on my exciting, blog-worthy, water bottle search.  Until then, take a look-see some info I gathered on the Internet.  Because I believe everything I read on the Internet and so should you! 

Most every plastic item has a little number on the bottom.  Take a look at some of your most used plastic items and see if they are good or bad.  Then chuck the bad ones into a landfill and buy new ones.  Wow-we’re never going to be able to reduce our impact are we?  But we may be able to avoid three headed children.  And that’s always a good thing.

Plastics to Avoid:

#3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)commonly contains di-2-ehtylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), an endocrine disruptor and probable human carcinogen, as a softener.

#6 Polystyrene (PS)may leach styrene, a possible endocrine disruptor and human carcinogen, into water and food.  ***I just purchased a clear measuring cup (for food and liquid that is #6, God Damn Wal-Mart!

#7 Polycarbonate contains the hormone disruptor bisphenol-A, which can leach out as bottles age, are heated or exposed to acidic solutions. Unfortunately, #7 is used in most baby bottles and five-gallon water jugs and in many reusable sports bottles.  ***Hormone Disruptors-like Menopause, only worse! 

Better Plastics

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), the most common and easily recycled plastic for bottled water and soft drinks, has also been considered the most safe. However, one 2003 Italian study found that the amount of DEHP in bottled spring water increased after 9 months of storage in a PET bottle.

#2 High Density Polyethylene

#4 Low Density Polyethylene  ***(Whew, my cheap ass Wal-Mart Bottle is #4

#5 Polypropylene

Best Reusable Bottles: Betras USA Sports Bottles, Brita Fill & Go Water Filtration Bottle, Arrow Canteen

Better Baby Bottles: Choose tempered glass or opaque plastic made of polypropylene (#5) or polyethylene (#1), which do not contain bisphenol-A.

I’m not a particular fan of babies, so really I could care less what kind of bottle your kid is sucking on.  But you might want to check.  And if you’re a responsible parent, you probably already have. 

This article also mentioned that you shouldn’t expose your water bottles to heat because that can promote the leaching of chemicals.  I’m guilty of this because I leave my water bottle in my car.  And we all know that it gets to be about 809 degrees in there each day.  My steering wheel seems to be at the same temperature as the surface of the sun! 

So that’s just a little Monday Morning knowledge for you to chew on.  Maybe you’ll be able to sleep better tonight.  And yes, you are welcome.  I know that you visit PLSF for the most up to date information on staying safe and creating a better world.  And that my friends, is why PLSF will the be top blog in the world someday.  Kidding.  Back to boobs and bitchy girls tomorrow.   

J

**The article that I quoted can be found at www.thegreenguide.com

You didn’t think that I came up with that crap on my own did you?